With the advent of the Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN), many new telecommunications services have become available. These new services may include free phone, calling card, virtual net, follow me, fully flexible routing, and debit card. These services are typically defined in a service creation environment (SCE) node in the Advanced Intelligent Network by the service provider and then disseminated to the rest of the network for execution. Many of these new services provide added flexibility and convenience in how we may use our telephone equipment. However, after a customer subscribes to a new service, changes or updates to service parameters are typically done by the service provider customer support personnel who has access to the service creation environment. As a result, the service subscribers or users cannot easily update the service parameters to maximize the benefits of the services they subscribe to.
The debit cards service is an especially appealing service because debit cards have become a popular alternative for consumers who desire to be more financially disciplined and yet still enjoy the convenience of a credit card. The debit card draws on funds previously deposited in an account by the card owner and therefore does not carry the danger of putting the card owner in debt with over spending. Further the card issuer is not exposed to bad debts that cannot be collected. For consumers with bad credit history, debit cards provide the possibility of paying for goods and services without cash.